OT 21: DFD Giveth and DFD Taketh Away

[Johnny_P]

Woah... big announcement! Glad you feel comfortable coming out with that here. Hope the new life treats you well and you’re happy! How did the wife take the news? Don’t have to share that obviously if you’re not ready to.

Of trans folks I'm apparently the luckiest motherfucker to ever live, because the wife has been super supportive and is now calling herself effectively bisexual. Apparently I was a lesbian all along.

One fun fact is that there is literally a lesbian bar a block from our house so we are at least in friendly territory.

Glad to hear. Big changes like that must be pretty difficult to navigate, and I imagine a supportive partner makes it much more manageable.

[Valkyrie]

Hey fuckers

new username who dis

No big deal here. We lost a massive oak limb in the storm but it luckily landed out front on top of nothing, so all I had to do was clean up a bunch of random debris. The city took a few weeks to pick stuff up but it was otherwise not a big deal. The most annoying thing was that our power was out for about 3 days which definitely sucked.

glad yall were ok, hurricunts sucks and I will never miss them. When one hit In BR I was without electricity for 13 days.

Of trans folks I'm apparently the luckiest motherfucker to ever live, because the wife has been super supportive and is now calling herself effectively bisexual. Apparently I was a lesbian all along.

One fun fact is that there is literally a lesbian bar a block from our house so we are at least in friendly territory.

well shit, talk about hitting the lottery there. Will be interesting journey for sure, good luck. Going to be a hellva ride for you two so I truly hope it all works out and you find some peace in the end. (which at least from your online posting always seemed to elude you)

So I have questions, and feel free to not answer anything you dont want. How long does this typically take? are you going full steam ahead or pacing yourself? Are you going to any surgeries? Are you taking hormones and stuff too?

Somewhat related: did you ever get a job in FL and does your employer know, or have you told them, do you think they will care?

First off, since I do have some connections with some of y'all outside of DFD: I'm not yet out to anyone beyond my wife, doctors, and random internet folks, so please don't post anything to my Facebook or whatever until you see the names change on there.

Timelines vary significantly based on all sorts of factors. With my local folks, it's typically 6+ months of living 24/7 under the new identity before you can be recommended to start taking hormones, then 12+ months on those before you can start talking to surgeons, then the good ones tend to have waiting lists that are years long (not to mention costing a lot of generally not-covered-by-insurance money), then recovery is a solid year after that.

I turn 37 in a month, if I actually go all the way through the big surgeries I'll be ~45 by the time it's all totally done but will hopefully have life mostly changed over before I hit 40.

[SAWCE]

Valkyrie is a badass new username.

[SAWCE]

Sucks it’s such a long timeline. Hopefully people are accepting/kind during the transition.

[razr390]

Valkyrie is a badass new username.

Indeed. 5/7 would name a WoW character Valkyrie. Also never heard anyone using that name IRL so that’s cool as hell

[Valkyrie]

Valkyrie is a badass new username.

Indeed. 5/7 would name a WoW character Valkyrie. Also never heard anyone using that name IRL so that’s cool as hell

I've used it and other Val-* names in gaming communities since ~1997, including EQ and WoW. In a way that was the only time I ever got to really be myself and is perhaps why I spent so many thousands of hours in game worlds. I'm sticking with the more common Valerie for a real name, though... Valkyrie is certainly on the table for a stage name, especially whenever I get another metal band going.

[MexicanYarisTK]

Troy!!! You're back!!

Valkyrie

[MexicanYarisTK]

Any chance on what happened to the plac thread? Can't seem to find it

[D Griff]

Indeed. 5/7 would name a WoW character Valkyrie. Also never heard anyone using that name IRL so that’s cool as hell

I've used it and other Val-* names in gaming communities since ~1997, including EQ and WoW. In a way that was the only time I ever got to really be myself and is perhaps why I spent so many thousands of hours in game worlds. I'm sticking with the more common Valerie for a real name, though... Valkyrie is certainly on the table for a stage name, especially whenever I get another metal band going.

You still playing gigs and stuff?

[ChrisoftheNorth]

So great to hear from you Valkyrie! Awesome news, and glad you can find us as a friendly space. Hope everything is still rocking in Florida!

[Valkyrie]

I've used it and other Val-* names in gaming communities since ~1997, including EQ and WoW. In a way that was the only time I ever got to really be myself and is perhaps why I spent so many thousands of hours in game worlds. I'm sticking with the more common Valerie for a real name, though... Valkyrie is certainly on the table for a stage name, especially whenever I get another metal band going.

You still playing gigs and stuff?

Yep, still playing small stuff locally with a few different people. Once I go public with the re-branding I'll be making a bigger push for gigs and probably teaching a bit. There's a rock band summer camp for girls here that always needs instructors, it would be fun to try.

[MexicanYarisTK]

Yea to build a bit on TK’s NYC post, walking is 5/7, and I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it. The subway is great to get to major intersections and then you can walk the rest of the way.

The couple we visited have 1 electric scooter each, but they were both broken at the moment due to the shit roads/etc that beats them up.

Ultimately the quickest way to get around is the subway. They told me that if they’re out past 9-10, they will taxi or Uber home for safety concerns but during sunlight hours subway is 100% the move.

I love visiting New York because I like seeing people doing their own thing, being out and about, etc. it’s sort of refreshing. It makes me hate how car dependent San Antonio, and even south Florida is.

So much this.

During my covid hiatus, I spent 3-4 hours walking in Istanbul. That was when Istanbul was almost like a ghosttown. It just doesn't get tiring even though pretty much everywhere was closed at the time.

As for the second bolded.
It makes me really sad that its even hard for me to go for a walk in my silent ass suburb I currently live in. Yes I can go out for a walk, but it really just does not compare in istanbul, ny, pretty much most european cities. Going for coffee, istanbul - 10 mins walk and I'm talking about a semi-waxer neighborhood that isn't nowhere near as crowded or stacked. Here, hop in your car, go to peets (not that much of a fan for starbucks as you know) and drive atleast 2-3 miles, 5 min drive.

As much as I loved walking there and I can pretty much go to everywhere I need within a 10-20 min walk. Only inconvenience is groceries, and when it rains. Which is why reusable bags are a must. Can you imagine just going to the mall to get socks 3 miles away? Can you imagine how people in Europe will look at you like you have 2 heads?
Also me explaining my turkish friends how you need a car for pretty much ANYTHING outside of Ny and probably few other cities.

[golftdibrad1]

new username who dis



glad yall were ok, hurricunts sucks and I will never miss them. When one hit In BR I was without electricity for 13 days.




well shit, talk about hitting the lottery there. Will be interesting journey for sure, good luck. Going to be a hellva ride for you two so I truly hope it all works out and you find some peace in the end. (which at least from your online posting always seemed to elude you)

So I have questions, and feel free to not answer anything you dont want. How long does this typically take? are you going full steam ahead or pacing yourself? Are you going to any surgeries? Are you taking hormones and stuff too?

Somewhat related: did you ever get a job in FL and does your employer know, or have you told them, do you think they will care?

First off, since I do have some connections with some of y'all outside of DFD: I'm not yet out to anyone beyond my wife, doctors, and random internet folks, so please don't post anything to my Facebook or whatever until you see the names change on there.

Timelines vary significantly based on all sorts of factors. With my local folks, it's typically 6+ months of living 24/7 under the new identity before you can be recommended to start taking hormones, then 12+ months on those before you can start talking to surgeons, then the good ones tend to have waiting lists that are years long (not to mention costing a lot of generally not-covered-by-insurance money), then recovery is a solid year after that.

I turn 37 in a month, if I actually go all the way through the big surgeries I'll be ~45 by the time it's all totally done but will hopefully have life mostly changed over before I hit 40.

10-4 boss, wont say shit.

Very interesting information on the process. Hope you stick around to share the experience, and again wish you well on this journey.

[Johnny_P]

So my Pixelbook dies last night. Something happened with the hardware related to the display. It functions but the screen is going nuts and it’s basically unusable. I successfully downloaded everything off it while the screen was intermittently working. So that’s good.

4 years old and it’s dead. That’s kind of annoying. It wasn’t cheap, I think I paid $650 for it?

Anyway. Need a new machine. I primarily just use it for web browsing / simple Google spreadsheets / signing digital forms / porn. I’d want something with a touch screen I think. But not sure if I should do another Chromebook or a windows laptop like an HP Spectre.

Thoughts?

[Valkyrie]

So my Pixelbook dies last night. Something happened with the hardware related to the display. It functions but the screen is going nuts and it’s basically unusable. I successfully downloaded everything off it while the screen was intermittently working. So that’s good.

4 years old and it’s dead. That’s kind of annoying. It wasn’t cheap, I think I paid $650 for it?

Anyway. Need a new machine. I primarily just use it for web browsing / simple Google spreadsheets / signing digital forms / porn. I’d want something with a touch screen I think. But not sure if I should do another Chromebook or a windows laptop like an HP Spectre.

Thoughts?

It's probably the ribbon cable connection between the monitor and the motherboard, slight chance that it's fixable if you want to mess with it.

FWIW my HP Spectre will turn 7 years old next month and is still working well. Battery life is down slightly but it's hardly noticeable. It was $900 in 2015 though, not as cheap as a chromebook. I only use the touchscreen occasionally but it has become more useful over time.

[max225]

I’d prob wait 2-3 weeks for Black Friday deals … they will be epic

[Johnny_P]

I’d prob wait 2-3 weeks for Black Friday deals … they will be epic

Yeah not wrong there. I don’t really need a computer as long as my phone works.

[Johnny_P]

So my Pixelbook dies last night. Something happened with the hardware related to the display. It functions but the screen is going nuts and it’s basically unusable. I successfully downloaded everything off it while the screen was intermittently working. So that’s good.

4 years old and it’s dead. That’s kind of annoying. It wasn’t cheap, I think I paid $650 for it?

Anyway. Need a new machine. I primarily just use it for web browsing / simple Google spreadsheets / signing digital forms / porn. I’d want something with a touch screen I think. But not sure if I should do another Chromebook or a windows laptop like an HP Spectre.

Thoughts?

It's probably the ribbon cable connection between the monitor and the motherboard, slight chance that it's fixable if you want to mess with it.

FWIW my HP Spectre will turn 7 years old next month and is still working well. Battery life is down slightly but it's hardly noticeable. It was $900 in 2015 though, not as cheap as a chromebook. I only use the touchscreen occasionally but it has become more useful over time.

Yeah the touch screen came in really handy for tax forms and house offer stuff. I bought the wife a MacBook Air M2 a few months ago which does not have a touch screen. I think mine should have it.

[razr390]

I’d prob wait 2-3 weeks for Black Friday deals … they will be epic

Yeah not wrong there. I don’t really need a computer as long as my phone works.

I will be the Apple bro here but I paid $850 for my MacBook Air and it is so good. Great build quality, superb battery life and slim/lightweight. If you're considering spending that much, Apple products tend to outlast other items. Otherwise, get a basic computer for like $400 from Costco and call it a day.

[razr390]

It's probably the ribbon cable connection between the monitor and the motherboard, slight chance that it's fixable if you want to mess with it.

FWIW my HP Spectre will turn 7 years old next month and is still working well. Battery life is down slightly but it's hardly noticeable. It was $900 in 2015 though, not as cheap as a chromebook. I only use the touchscreen occasionally but it has become more useful over time.

Yeah the touch screen came in really handy for tax forms and house offer stuff. I bought the wife a MacBook Air M2 a few months ago which does not have a touch screen. I think mine should have it.

AH just saw this. NVM on my recommendation then.

Check out Costco for stuff. They have touchscreen laptops.

[max225]

Or you can just get an iPad with a keyboard

[Valkyrie]

It's probably the ribbon cable connection between the monitor and the motherboard, slight chance that it's fixable if you want to mess with it.

FWIW my HP Spectre will turn 7 years old next month and is still working well. Battery life is down slightly but it's hardly noticeable. It was $900 in 2015 though, not as cheap as a chromebook. I only use the touchscreen occasionally but it has become more useful over time.

Yeah the touch screen came in really handy for tax forms and house offer stuff. I bought the wife a MacBook Air M2 a few months ago which does not have a touch screen. I think mine should have it.

The only thing that I have no use for on my Spectre is the 360-degree hinge so you can make it a tablet. If I want tablet functionality, I use a phone. Otherwise I like having a real keyboard. I still don't see the point of tablets, maybe when I get too old to see the phone screen?

[golftdibrad1]

Yeah the touch screen came in really handy for tax forms and house offer stuff. I bought the wife a MacBook Air M2 a few months ago which does not have a touch screen. I think mine should have it.

The only thing that I have no use for on my Spectre is the 360-degree hinge so you can make it a tablet. If I want tablet functionality, I use a phone. Otherwise I like having a real keyboard. I still don't see the point of tablets, maybe when I get too old to see the phone screen?

preach

[wap]

So my Pixelbook dies last night. Something happened with the hardware related to the display. It functions but the screen is going nuts and it’s basically unusable. I successfully downloaded everything off it while the screen was intermittently working. So that’s good.

4 years old and it’s dead. That’s kind of annoying. It wasn’t cheap, I think I paid $650 for it?

Anyway. Need a new machine. I primarily just use it for web browsing / simple Google spreadsheets / signing digital forms / porn. I’d want something with a touch screen I think. But not sure if I should do another Chromebook or a windows laptop like an HP Spectre.

Thoughts?

It's probably the ribbon cable connection between the monitor and the motherboard, slight chance that it's fixable if you want to mess with it.

FWIW my HP Spectre will turn 7 years old next month and is still working well. Battery life is down slightly but it's hardly noticeable. It was $900 in 2015 though, not as cheap as a chromebook. I only use the touchscreen occasionally but it has become more useful over time.

Dang, I remember when you bought that Spectre, lol.

Not too long after that I bought a not-cheap Dell and after 2 years the damn thing needed a new battery and the hinges broke rendering it useless. It still boots up but I forced the screen shut and if I open it again it'll probably snap off the base. My replacement HP Pavilion after 2 plus years is aging well, still on its original battery, and the hinges are still working. I'm an HP fan, for sure.

[Johnny_P]

My work computers have been HPs and for mainstream computers they seem decently well made and dependable. Very old school looking machines, not really cutting edge designs but whatever I suppose.

I liked how the pixel book didn’t have a fan. It was so quiet. My work laptop is a loud heavy bulky very hot running thing.